title: Neurophysiologic and neurobehavioral evidence of beneficial effects of prenatal omega-3 fatty acid intake on memory function at school age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The beneficial effects of prenatal and early postnatal intakes of omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on cognitive development during infancy are well recognized. However, few studies have examined the extent to which these benefits continue to be evident in childhood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine the relation of n-3 PUFAs and seafood-contaminant intake with memory function in school-age children from a fish-eating community.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective, longitudinal study in Arctic Quebec, we assessed Inuit children (n = 154; mean age: 11.3 y) by using a continuous visual recognition task to measure 2 event-related potential components related to recognition memory processing: the FN400 and the late positive component (LPC). Children were also examined by using 2 well-established neurobehavioral assessments of memory: the Digit span forward from Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children, 4th edition, and the California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Repeated-measures analyses of variance revealed that children with higher cord plasma concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is an important n-3 PUFA, had a shorter FN400 latency and a larger LPC amplitude; and higher plasma DHA concentrations at the time of testing were associated with increased FN400 amplitude. Cord DHA-related effects were observed regardless of seafood-contaminant amounts. Multiple regression analyses also showed positive associations between cord DHA concentrations and performance on neurobehavioral assessments of memory.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this study provides the first neurophysiologic and neurobehavioral evidence of long-term beneficial effects of n-3 PUFA intake in utero on memory function in school-age children.
authors.affiliation: Université Laval, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Burden
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muckle
authors.forename: Dave
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saint-Amour
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ayotte
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dewailly
authors.forename: Charles A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Sandra W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Jacobson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001110:Arctic Regions; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D004930:Inuit; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011792:Quebec; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects; D017747:Seafood; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids